The etymology of the Name and Family Histories in the transition from Fayrehale to Verrall and migrations from Cuckfield to Hailsham via Eastbourne, plus the stories behind one family's escape from poverty to life in a new land.

Chapter 4 - THE HARD YEARS

Chapter
Four

The
Hard Years

Research
for this and following Chapters by Yvonne Cottman and Christine
Verrall

Richard
was a very popular name amongst the various Verrall lines in Sussex
around this time with a couple even marrying Marys to add even
greater confusion forresearchers.
Thomas' Will below helps to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Richard
Verrall

1 Richard
Verrall was
born Abt. 1680 in England.

Richard
married Mary
in
Eastbourne, Sussex, England. Mary was born Abt 1684 in England.

I,
Thomas Verral of Excett in the parish of Seaford in the County of
Sussex, shepherd, being weak in body but of sound mind and memory
thanks be given to God for the same, do this first day of January in
the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty six make
and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form
following, that is to say.

Fist
I give and bequeath unto brother Edward Verrall,the sum of one
guinea, also to my brother John Verral the sum of one guinea also to
my brother Richard the sum of one guinea, also to my sister
Elizabeth, the wife of John Sutton of Eastbourne in the county of
Sussex one guinea which legacies I give to them and their heirs for
to be paid within six months after my decease.

I
also give unto my three brothers and sister aforesaid all my wearing
apparel to be equally divided among them.

All
the rest of my stock of sheep, household goods and all things
whatsoever I...or after my just and lawful debts are paid, I give
unto Elizabeth my beloved wife and to her heirs for ever whom I also
make my wife Elizabeth full and sole executrix to this my last will
and testament, utterley revoking.....all other wills before me at any
time made allowing this and only this to be my last will and
testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the
day and year first above written.

The
mark of Thomas Verral

Signed,
sealed, published and declared by the testator to be his last will
and testament in the presence of those whose names are under written:

Richard
married Mary
Marden daughter
of John Marden and Mary 27 May 1740 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.
Mary was born 3 Oct 1713 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. She died 25
Nov 1789 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.

William
Verrall, the subject of this short paper, was probably born at the
end of 1751 and was baptised at Eastbourne
30 Jan 1752, one of the younger children of Richard Verrall (Born
1717, son of Richard and Mary Verrall of Eastbourne by his wife Mary
Marden whom he had married in 1740.

It
seems likely that William's early life was spent at Eastbourne, the
family subsequently moving to nearbyHailsham,
and when in his late teens William went to work at Ashburnham. Among
the parish records atAshburnham
is an acknowledgement of settlement 17 Apr 1771 given by the parish
officers of Hailsham and owning him as an inhabitant of Hailsham. He
may have been a labourer on the estates of the Earl ofAshburnham
and he was still there on 5 Apr 1772 when he married Anne, the 20
year old daughter ofRichard
and Anne Michel (Nee Bennett). The marriage had been necessitated by
the birth of William andAnne's
son William some nine months earlier: Indeed, the churchwardens and
overseers of Ashburnham probably
"obliged" the couple to get married for there survives no
order for the child's maintenance.

Nine
days after the marriage a removal order was obtained for both William
and Anne, ordering their removal to Hailsham, but does not seem to
have been carried out although there is a long gap between the birth
of their first child William, and their second John in 1778. The last
baptism of the family at Ashburnham was that in 1778 of a son John
and sometime within the following eighteen months the family moved to
Ninfield, a neighbouring parish where it stayed until 1791 and
produced five more children. However, by 1793 they had all returned
to Hailsham, later events indicating that he move was enforced, due
no doubt to the large and still increasing family which William was
desperately trying to support.

Back
at Hailsham the family immediately went on parish relief, and in 1793
and 1797 produced two morechildren,
making 10 and thus completing the family. By 1802 six of the children
had left home and the family still on parish relief consisted of
William and Anne, a boy aged 12 (James), a girl aged 13, (Elizabeth),
a girl aged 7 (Harriet) and another girl aged 4 (Maria). During 1801
the family had cost the parish 33 pounds 2shillings and 1 and a half
pence in relief and there survive detailed accounts of assistance
given until 1821.

From
the accounts we learn for instance that the rent of William's house
was 4 pounds per year and withfurther
research it should be possible to locate where it was. Elizabeth the
daughter was, in 1802 in servicewith
Mr. Parks and received money for clothes but by 1804, when she would
have been about 15, was ableto
earn enough to support herself. In 1806 Harriet received 1shilling
and 3 pence for a pair of mittens andthe
boy frequently was supplied with shoes. It is clear such shoes as
were supplied over the years were ofpoor
quality, frequently needing mending as the accounts show.

A
detailed account is given below and is typical of each year's entry:
only in 1807 does the total begin to fall, and this can be explained
by the children leaving home for good.

Expenses
from Easter 1802

June
15 Flour from Easter to May 17th 11s 5pence halfpenny.

June
15 Cloth from Mr. Kings 6s 8pence

June
25 ditto for his boy at Mr. Bodys 12s 1pence

Jul
19 Relieved with 6s

Wood
from Mr. Currys 1pound 14s

Half
a years rent due Oct 10th 2 pounds

Mending
his boys shoes 3s 2pence

Nov
12 A great coat for Samuel 16s

A
pair of Boot Shoes for Samuel 15s

one
shirt for Samuel 5s

one
quarter of barley 1pound 10s

Dec
6 a pair of shoes for the girl

at
Parks 6s 6pence

1803

Jan
12 Relieved for the purpose of

Clothing
the girl 10s 6 pence

one
overcoat for his girl 4s

Feb
9 one pair of stays for girl 7s 6 pence

one
petticoat for girl 3s 9 pence

2
changes for girl 7s 10 pence halfpenny

Mar
31 2 shirts for Samuel 10s 10 pence

Apr
4 1 sack of oats 11s

1
pair of breeches for the boy 8s

Doctor
1 pound 10s

Half
a years rent due Lady day 2 pounds

____________

Expense
Last Year 15pounds 19s 4pence

Expenses
from Easter 1803

Jul
20 Shoe mending 6pence

Aug
2 One bed gown & pair of stockings

for
Elizabeth at Master Parks 5s

One
Tuck Apron for Elizth 2s 6pence

2
changes for the Girl Elizth

at
Parks 7s 6pence

Nov
1 1 sack of peas 1 pound 4s

Dec
1 " '
1 pound 4s

1804

Jan
24 one pair of shoes for the girl

at
Mr Parks 6s 6pence

one
pair of Stocking for girl 2s

Rent
4 pounds

one
load of wood 1 pound 12s

Expenses
last Year 9 pound 4s

During
the period 1801 - 1822 William Verrall received a total of 207 pounds
16shillings and tenpence from the parish by way of grants and relief;
when he died in 1822 his widow Anne was allowed 2s 6pence a week and
she survived until the beginning of 1844 and died at Hailsham aged
96.

William
Verrall their eldest child is probably the man referred to in the
following extracts. It seems likely that he served in the Sussex
Militia: (see below)

Money
received on Parish Account

1802
Aug 29 Recd of the parish of Ewhurst for young Verrals Family 46
weeks at 4s 6p per week from

the
7th of June 1801 to the 24th of April 1802 (the time the Sussex
Regiment was

disbanded
which cancel'd the order from any reimbursement from Ewhurst 10pound
7s

1804
Oct 23 paid for young Verralls child at Catsfield 20 weeks from 2nd
June to the 21st of October

2pound
10s

1804
Dec 27 paid for young Verralls child at Catsfield 9 weeks from
October 21st to December 23rd

1pound
2s 6p

What
could have happened was that young William was balloted to serve for
Hailsham parish, took his wife and child with him to camp at first
Ewhurst, for a short time before being disbanded, was able to support
his family for a year or more, and then possibly rejoined as a
regular soldier leaving his family to survive on relief. It seems
likely that his son, another William was the same as:-

1804
Aug 6 Children put out - William Verrall to Thomas Sharpe of
Eastbourne Memorandum - Mr Sharpe hired the boy for a year, from the
6th August 1804 to the 6th of August 1805, and the Parish agreed to
pay Mr.Sharp for the year -3pounds 18s

In
1809 yet another of William and Ann's sons was " on the parish".
Charles Verrall, born in 1783 at Ninfield, married in 1805 Lydia,
daughter of William and Sarah Crowhurst. At Easter 1809 the family
consisted of one girl aged 4, one boy (George) aged 2 and an infant
(possibly Sarah who was not baptised until December of that year).
Between Easter 1809 and Easter 1826, Charles received 234 pounds 13s
and 9 pence in relief from the parish!

So
between them, over about 20 years, William Senior, William and
Charles his son, had over 500pounds for support. It is small wonder
that Hailsham parish was enthusiastic about emigration - for about 15
pounds each person, it could dispose for good of this regular drain
on the parish rates.

Sources

Hailsham
parish records at the East Sussex Record Office. Acc1333.
Information kindly supplied by LadyTeviot.

Eastbourne
Male Census of 1803 - Eastbourne Men at War - A Census of all
males aged 17 - 55 in 1803

On
the 18th May 1803, Britain declared war on Napoleon and France and
the adult male population of Eastbournetogether
with all other Parishes in Sussex was called upon by a Variety of
Defence Acts to defend their country. Theselists
of men provide a virtual census of the resident adult male population
at that time. Under those defence acts, theLord
Lieutenant was responsible for recruiting men for the services
(especially the Militia) and Parish Officials wererequired
to compile and return to him lists of all men in the Parish between
17 and 55.

4 Charles
Verrall(William,
Richard, Richard) was born in Ninfield, Sussex, England. He was
christened 1 Jun 1783 in Hailsham, Sussex, England. He died 21 Mar
1867 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.

Charles
married Lydia
Crowhurst daughter
of William Crowhurst and Sarah Roberts 26 May 1805 in Hailsham,
Sussex, England. Lydia was christened 21 Aug 1785 in Hailsham,
Sussex, England. She died 21 May 1861 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.

In
1809 yet another of William and Ann's sons was " on the parish".
Charles Verrall, born in 1783 at Ninfield, married in 1805 Lydia,
daughter of William and Sarah Crowhurst. At Easter 1809 the family
consisted of one girl aged 4, one boy (George) aged 2 and an infant
(possibly Sarah who was not baptised until December of that year).
Between Easter 1809 and Easter 1826, Charles received 234 pounds 13s
and 9 pence in relief from the parish!

From
the County Archivist Mar 2000

The
Hailsham parish register, as you have noted, records the baptism on 4
June 1805 of Martha Crowhurst,who
was born on 23 March 1805. The parents are not stated. Unfortunately
marriage entries before 1837 do not record the names of parents.

However,
a document among the Hailsham parish records (PAR 353 34/2/3), dated
18 May 1805, is awarrant
for the arrest of Charles Verrall, who, on the examination of Lilly
(sic) Crowhurst of Hailshamspinster,
was adjudged to be the father of the female bastard child delivered
of Lilly on 23 March last at thehouse
of her father William Crowhurst of Hailsham. No doubt 'Lilly' is an
error for Lydia.

This
seems to resolve the matter: the child was Charles's, and he married
the mother of his illegitimate child

Charles
and Lydia's three lads, first George, then, William and Charles escaped England
and emigrated to Australia in 1844 and 1849 respectively, never to
return. George settled in Queensland, William and Charles in South
Australia.

the
Wish

May
I see England,Though years go by

Before I realise my
dream; before I die

May I see English cities, English
towns,

Green fields and meadows, the sweeping Downs,

The
village of my dreams, flowers in spring,

Quiet country
lanes, hedgerows. May I see everything

That I have dreamed
of. Should you ask me why

I long so much for these. I will
reply:

"I have roots in England. Old though they
be,

They are not dead, but rise and live in me."

Author Unknown

This
poem is an excerpt from the book:'Charles & Sarah Verrall &
Their Descendants'Compiled by D. Adams & G. Green